Improvement in hose-coupling



@geiten tates @anni @fitte DUANE 'l. PERKINS AND CHARLES F. HOVEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSAT"\ CHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 68,650, dated September 1Q, 186i'.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOSE-COUPLING.

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TO ALL WTOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it knowiinthat we, DUANE T. PERKINS and CuAnLEs F. Hover, both of Springfield, in the county of Hampden, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a. new and improved Hose-Couplingg and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, whereof- Figurc 1 is a side elevation of one` of the two similar portions of said hose-coupling..

Figure 2 is an elevation of thc same.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the line X Y, iig. 2. A

Figure 4 is a side elevation of said hose-coupling, showing thc two portions locked together for use; and

Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a front and sido elevationof the'slotted key.

The nature of our invention consists in constructing a metallic hose-coupling, composed of two corresponding and similar portions, which portions arc designed to be applied to thcendsof sections of hose or tubing, for the purpose of connecting the ends of such sections together, and forming a firm and water-tight joint at the point of such connection. Our invention relates particularly to thcfmeans by which thetwo similar portions of the coupling can be interlockcd and afterwards 4keyed firmly in place, and also to the method of applying a suitable packing to the meeting faces of suchportions. l

The construction of our invention is as follows: A complete coupling consists of two portions which are precisely similar, and the main parts of which are or can be cast in the same mould, and all parts fitted and finished alike, so that one portion of said coupling is in every respecta duplicate lof the other. In iig. 1 is` shown one of the portions A of such hose-coupling, which is in the form of a. hollow cylinder, having its inner surface smoothly finished. A male screw-thread, a a, is cut upon a portion of its length at one end, and a ring or annular projection, C, is formed upon the opposite end, from which projection extend the ears or inclined lugs E E, and the parts B B', in which are placed the key-seats F F. screw-thread a a is inserted in the end of the hose, which latter is encompassed by a sleeve of brass or other metal, the screw-thread serving as a ready means of causing the cylinder A to enter the hose as far as the projection C. The method of attaching the coupling to thehose as described, is not set forth as a. part of our invention, and the conformation of the entering end ofA in this regard is not material tothe use of our invention, many methods of attaching couplings to hose being now in use which are equally adapted to be employed with our improved coupling. Two oars or lugs E E are formed upon the ring C, the position and conformation of lwhich are shown in figs. 1 and 2.f A plane surface, of width suticient for a durable bearing surface, is formed upon the inner side of E, extending from c to d, and a similar face is formed upon the corresponding ear E, on the opposite side of C, the two ears E E, upon the portion A, being formed in the same manner. The remaining surface of the ears E E is finished so as to insure suiiicient strength for holding securely when inter1ocl ed,'and for withstanding the violent usage to which hose-couplings are subjected when in use. Instead'of a plane surface, we have formed a bearing surface curved from c to d, but prefer the lplane surface as shown in the drawings. The angle of inclination of the hearing surface c d on each ear to the diametric plane ofthe cylinder A, is intended to be such thatthe bearing surfaces ofV the two cars which interlock, shall slide readily upo'n one another, and at the saine time draw the two portions of the coupling closely together end to end. To force the interlocking ears to place, and there secure them, we employ slottedkeys of the form shown in figs 5 and 6i One key is nttachedto each portion of the coupling, and is made of smoothly-finished metal, having a head, la, formed at one end for convenience of driving in and out, and beingl chamfercd or bevelled at the other end.` A slot, D, is formed in the key, extending nearly from end to end. A projection, B, rises from thc ring C, `oi

fsufficient size to allow the rectangular prisniatic opening to be formed in it, of proper shape to allow the key..

K to slide freely in it. The upper and lower sides of thc opening F are milde parallel to the axis ofthe cylinA der A, but may be constructed slightly oblique to such axis. The slotted hey K is introduced into the opening* F, with the head h towards the screwthreads a a, and held in piace by a pin or screw, c, passing through the slot D and sented in B and A. A similar opening, F', is made in a similar projection, B', which is formed upon The end of A upon which is out the titel/ing C diametrically opposite to B, but no key is attached to B', which only furnishes a socket into which a key is driven from the other portion of the coupling. l A

Having described the construction and arrangement of the devices for interlocking and securing in place the two portions of our improved coupling, we next describe the method of applying packing to the same for the formation of a water-tight joint. In the end of the cylinder A which is applied to the end of the other portion of the coupling, an annular channel, f nf, of peculiar shape, is formed, to receive the packing p. For

use as packing, we employ vulcanized rubber, but any ilexible packing material made in the form of sheets or thin strips may he used for the purpose. The two edges of a strip, p, ofpacking, of suitable width and thickness, are inserted in the annular channel, and the strip is then pressed into place, so that the edges are forced towards the sides of the channel at ff. The small projection 9L in the middle of the channel serves to press out the packing in the middle of the channel beyond therfacc ofthe end of A. If the packing is of proper width and thickness, it remains firmly in place in the channel, and'cannot be removed without effort, while the outer face of it is smooth, uniform, and durable. Any wear of the bearing surfaces of the cars E E is readily compensated for by removing the packingp and inserting a wider strip, so that the face of the packing will project more from the face of A. It has been before stated that the two portions of the coupling are constructed in form and manner precisely similar, and the two portions A and A' appear in fig. 4 as applied to one another, beingintcrlocked by means of the ears E E'on each side of A and A', and forced closely together and secured by means ofthe keys K K, which are driven home, the line of contact of the packing faces being at the dotted line between the en'ds of A and A'. When one portion A is applied to the other portion A', itis 4evident that the position of one portion will. be the reversi,l of the position of the other. l The operation of our invention is as follows: The portions A are attached to the ends of sections of hose, and fastened permanently to such sections, and Iare then really for use. The keys are to be drieen in suiiicie'ntly to hold the parts closely together, and can be readily displaced by striking with a hammer on the rear of the projection z. 'lhe driving of one key is generally suiiicient to hold the parts'of thewcoupling in close Contact.

Some of thc advantages of our invention may be stated as followszrIt combines simplicity, oheapness of construction, and strength,-from its confcrmation and `thefew parts of which it is composed, and when properly constructed is not liableto be dsarranged or disabled, and possesses a great degree of durability. The two portions are applied to one another and interlocked with readiness, the formation of the cars being such as to guide the parts into proper position, so that aA section-of hose through which water is ilowing with full force can be attached to an empty section in the shortest possible time, and by any inekperienced person. The two portions being duplicates, either end of a section of hose can be applied to either end of another section, whereas in most of the couplings now n use the two portions which meet are of different form, or male and female, so that only one end of a section can be applied to a corresponding end of another section, and a piece of hose has frequently to be reversed when taken from the hosc-carriage before it can be coupled to the-hose already laid down. The key being attached to the coupling by the pin can neverbecome lost or displaced, as if an independent device, or attached by a chain or cord. The simplicity andv durability of themethod of applying the packing is a matter of great importancepin connection with hose-couplings, which are frequently rendered imperfect or useless for the time being by the failure of the packing.

i Having described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The ixed ears or inclined lugs E E, formed upon the parts of a hose-coupling for interlocking and holding such parts in contact, substantially as described.

2. A hose-coupling formed of the part A and duplicate part A', cach having two ears orvinclined lugs thereon, as describedjin combination With'the slotted keys K,vpins c, andkey-seats, the whole-constructed and l operating substantially as set forth. i p

`3. The method of applying packing to a hose-coupling, by means of the channclfnf, and packingp inserted therein, substantially as set forth.

Witness our hands this 25th day of May, A. D. 1867.

DUANET. PERKINS, CHARLES F. HOVEY.

Witnesses:

Osman GmswoLD, J. Bienne. 

